Renewable Fuels Action Summit Biographies

Senator Byron Dorgan

Byron L. Dorgan was re-elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with nearly 70 percent of the vote after serving two previous terms in the Senate and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since 1996, he has served in the Democratic Leadership as an Assistant Democratic Floor Leader, and since 1998, also as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. He is the first North Dakotan to serve in the Senate Leadership.

Senator Dorgan presently serves on four Senate Committees. He is Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee within the Appropriations Committee. Also, he is Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee within the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, and he is a senior member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee where he chairs the Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism Subcommittee.

Throughout his career in both the House and Senate, Senator Dorgan has worked to advance the interests of rural America. Top priorities have been creating good-paying jobs and greater economic opportunity in North Dakota, and working to establish strong farm policies for family farmers and ranchers. Senator Dorgan conceived and created the Red River Valley Research Corridor, an effort to connect North Dakota’s world class colleges and universities to federal high tech research and training efforts.

Senator Dorgan is a national leader standing up for American workers and American businesses and demanding fair trade policies. He supports trade “and plenty of it” but says international trade agreements should not erode American labor, environmental and worker safety standards. Senator Dorgan is also working to position North Dakota to play a vital role in the nation’s effort to achieve energy security by reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. He is working to make significant long-term investment in renewable fuels, such as bio-fuels, wind energy and ethanol. He is also working to develop clean coal technology, increase energy efficiency, and the use of hydrogen.